Many IAS, IPS officers set to retire this year

PATNA: State bureaucracy is set to feel the pinch of more workload as about a dozen IAS officers and three IPS officers are likely to retire this year. Chief secretary Deepak Kumar (1984 batch), additional chief secretary R K Mahajan (1987 batch), Dipak Prasad (1989 batch) and S M Raju (1991 batch) are among the 18 IAS officers in different ranks to retire from service next year. At present 38 IAS officers are on central deputation and five are on interstate deputation. There were 128 vacancies in the IAS against the sanctioned posts of 342 in state, a source in the general administration department said. Altogether 214 posts are currently held by the IAS officers, including those promoted from the state quota. State development commissioner Subhash Sharma (1984 batch), chief adviser of Bihar state planning board Amitabh Verma (1982 batch) and additional secretary in the state revenue board, S Shiv Kumar (1987 batch), are among the top IAS officers to retire from the service this year. While Sharma is schedule to retire on August 31, Verma will superannuate on September 30. Similarly, Shiv Kumar is scheduled to retire on July 31 this year. Sunil Kumar Singh (1983 batch) retired on May 31 last. A senior IAS officer on the condition of anonymity said, “Undoubtedly, the workload will increase after the posts in higher ranks fall vacant. Execution of the pending development works within time frame will be the main focus of the government in the state, which goes to the assembly polls in October-November 2020.” The officer, who was present a high-level review meeting chaired by CM Nitish Kumar recently, said, “The CM clearly stated that all the pending schemes are to be completed within the time frame. In fact, many important development works came to a standstill due to the stretched Lok Sabha elections, which concluded in the last week of May.” Among the IPS officers, S K Sinha (1983 batch) and P N Mishra (2005 batch) will retire on October 31 and September 30 this year, respectively. While Sinha, a DG rank officer, is currently on central deputation, Mishra is posted as DIG (CID). On April 30 last, B N Jha, who was DIG (rail), retired from service. Altogether 35 IPS officers are currently on central deputation. The state has a total sanctioned strength of 242 IPS officers. Prior to the cadre review by the Centre about two years ago, the state had sanctioned only 231 posts of IPS officers. There were 43 vacancies in the IPS cadre in the state.

In 2020, seven IPS officers, including four in the DG rank, will retire, paving the way for promotion of officers in the ADG rank. Three out of the four DG rank officers — A K Verma (1986 batch), R K Mishra (1986 batch) and Rajesh Ranjan (1984 batch) --- scheduled to retire next year are at present working with different central police organizations at the Centre. The fourth officer, Sunil Kumar (1983 batch), is posted as DG-cum-commandant general of Bihar home guards and fire services. He is also holding the additional charge of chief managing director of Bihar Police Building Construction Corporation, which looks after the construction of the police buildings across the state. Kumar will retire on July 31, 2020.